Celebration?
by Mulderette
Summary: The Third Watch gang gets together to watch the 100th episode.


Title: Celebration?  
  
Email: lynne1919@aol.com  
  
Disclaimer: All characters are the property of John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero. I wish they were mine but unfortunately they're not.  
  
Spoilers: Through the episode "A Call for Help"   
  
Summary: The Third Watch gang gets together to watch the 100th episode.  
  
******  
  
"I can't believe we have to go to another one of these things," Jimmy grumbled to Kim as they started up the walkway of Pete's Pizza Palace. "And whose stupid idea was it to rent a function room, especially here?" The place looked like a dive.  
  
"It was Doc's idea. He's really excited about this," Kim said, then turned around to check on Joey who was lagging behind them. "Joey, honey, hurry up."   
  
Joey rolled his eyes and quickened his pace just a bit. "I still don't see why I had to come," he whined. "These things are boring. I'm not even in this episode. I'm never even in the show anymore. It's like I don't even exist."   
  
"That's silly. Of course you exist." Kim smiled and ruffled her son's hair fondly.  
  
"You're not alone, Joey," Jimmy grumbled. "I'm not in this episode either and I had to come."  
  
Kim shot Jimmy an annoyed look. "Do you have to encourage his behavior?" she whispered. "This isn't going to kill you, Jimmy."  
  
"Wanna bet?" Jimmy asked with a smirk as Joey laughed in delight.   
  
******  
  
"This is quite an occasion indeed. One hundred episodes. It's truly a milesone," Doc said, a bizarre smile on his face as he performed a final check on the Italian buffet, then looked over at the big screen television set . "That Ed seems to be getting into quite a pickle now that his ex is in town," he chuckled.   
  
"I didn't know you watched Ed," Carlos said, a bored look on his face as he glanced at the t.v, and then over at the clock. He didn't know why they had to get here early. The restaurant staff had taken care of everything. Doc had been so insistent though and these days it was just easier to do as Doc wanted.   
  
"There are lots of things you don't know about me, Carlos." Doc smiled and performed a pirouette then bowed with a flourish. "I'm a man of extreme mystery."   
  
Carlos gave Doc an incredulous look, unsure of how to respond to that and then breathed a sigh of relief when Jimmy and Kim entered the room with their son. Thank God someone else was finally here.  
  
******  
  
"So this seems like it's going to be really fun," Sasha said exuberantly as she walked beside Bosco, her heels clicking loudly on the sidewalk. "It's about time we all got together for a night out."   
  
"Oh yeah, a real blast," Bosco said as he rolled his eyes.   
  
"Woo hoo," Sully called unenthusiastically from behind where he was walking with Ty.   
  
"Come on, Sul," Ty said. "You know these things are never as bad as you think and you're going to get a nice dinner out of it."   
  
"I could think of nicer places to go for dinner," Sully grumbled. "I heard the food at this place sucks."   
  
Ty just shook his head. "It's going to be a lot of fun. You'll see."  
  
"I wouldn't bet on it," Bosco mumbled as he opened the door and the four officers entered the restaurant.  
  
******  
  
Cruz watched from her car as the other four officers entered the restaurant. It wasn't until they were inside that she turned off the ignition and then headed toward the restaurant herself. She wasn't particularly in the mood for socializing but she wasn't going to be the only one who didn't show up either. She walked up to the front of the restaurant and checked her reflection in the window. She was wearing a tight-fitting red dress and a leather jacket and whether or not she had a good time, at least she knew that she looked damn good.  
  
******  
  
Bosco tried to tune out Sasha who was babbling on about something to Sullivan and Davis. Sometimes it seemed like the woman never shut up. He turned in his seat to look around the room and froze. Coming through the doorway were Fred, Charlie and Emily...and Faith. She was walking, albeit very slowly, but she was walking. For one brief moment Faith and Bosco locked eyes and then Fred possessively put his arm around his wife and led her to a table.   
  
He couldn't believe that Faith was there. Suddenly this night didn't seem so bad after all.  
  
******  
  
"I still don't see why you wanted to come here," Fred grumbled to Faith. "We were having a perfectly nice vacation. I don't think it was that necessary to come to this. None of us were even in the episode, were we?"  
  
"No, we weren't in the episode, Fred, but we're a part of this show and this is important," Faith replied. She was actually enjoying herself so far. Everyone had come over to greet her, commenting on how great she looked...everyone except Bosco that is. He stayed at his table, but she couldn't help noticing the way he kept glancing over at her. Of course Cruz hadn't come over either. If she had, Faith would have scratched the bitch's eyes out.   
  
"That guy is such a jackass," Fred muttered.   
  
"Fred, please don't start anything. I just want to have a nice evening, okay?" Faith said, looking at him pleadingly.   
  
"He just sits there all high and mighty...couldn't even come over here to ask how you were doing."   
  
"He didn't come over because he knows how you feel about him," Faith stated.   
  
"You're sticking up for him?" he bellowed.  
  
Emily and Charlie exchanged an uneasy look and the room fell silent, all eyes directed toward their table. Faith's cheeks flushed and she stared down at the tabletop.  
  
"Show's starting, everyone," Sully called out, ending the awkward moment. Faith glanced over at Bosco and once again saw that his eyes were on her. This time though, he didn't look away.  
  
******  
  
"Even I can see this guy's leading Bosco on a wild goose chase," Fred mumbled as Tommy led Bosco to fence after fence.  
  
Faith rolled her eyes. "You don't know anything about being a cop, Fred."   
  
"Yeah well from what I see here it's not so tough, walking up and down the street looking at fences."  
  
"I hear that," Doc said glumly. These cop scenes just bored him to tears. His expression brightened though when he and Kim made an appearance on the screen. "Now things are finally going to get good. Look how quickly I diagnosed that kid's tendon damage. I should have been a doctor. I would have been a great one."  
  
"It's not so easy to become a doctor...I should know," Carlos said.   
  
Doc looked back at Carlos, then started to laugh. "I'm sorry, but forgive me if I don't take your word for that, Carlos. I mean, I think I do have a little bit more upstairs than you do."   
  
"Are you calling me stupid?" Carlos asked, his eyes flashing with anger.   
  
"I would never call you stupid. You're just not as intelligent as I am," Doc said with an easy smile. "But don't feel bad, Carlos. Not many people are."   
  
"He keeps getting worse," Jimmy muttered to Kim who nodded, her eyes sad. Doc was worrying them all these days. He was becoming more and more unpredictable.   
  
******  
  
"Cool! Look at all that blood!" Charlie exclaimed, watching the television screen with great interest.   
  
"Gross," Emily stated, wrinkling up her nose in disgust.  
  
"Joey, honey, why don't you go over and sit with Charlie?" Kim asked, smiling down at her son who uninterestedly picking at his plate of pasta.   
  
"I don't think so," Joey said, shaking his head.  
  
"Why not? Charlie's a nice boy."  
  
"We don't have anything in common, mom. Besides, he gets to be in the show and I don't," Joey said sulkily. "I don't want to hang out with him."   
  
"Joey, that's not nice."   
  
"Kim, don't push him," Jimmy said softly. "If he doesn't want to hang with the Yokas kid I'm sure he has his reasons." Frankly he didn't blame Joey. If Charlie was anything like his father, he was going to grow up to be one big putz. His eyes widened as Bosco started pulling knives out of Tommy's pockets on the show. "What the hell, Bosco? What kind of a cop are you anyhow?"  
  
"Jimmy, don't." Kim shook her head and sighed.   
  
"HA!" Doc jumped up from his chair and clapped his hands gleefully. "You see, Boscorelli! Doherty thinks you're a crappy cop too."   
  
"Oh yeah, like I care what Doherty thinks," Bosco retorted.   
  
"See what you started?" Kim hissed at Jimmy.  
  
"I didn't do anything."   
  
"Come on, people, why don't we calm down and watch the show," Cruz said.  
  
"I didn't realize she was in charge," Faith murmured, her attention on a tiny piece of lint that she was picking off her sweater. She was such a bitch, always taking over wherever she went. What an ego.  
  
"You said this was going to be fun?" Sully asked Ty who just shrugged. "Oh yeah, it's a real ball. Not to mention, this pasta is lousy. It's all stuck together."   
  
"Have something else then, Sully. There's lots of salad over there."   
  
"No thanks." Crap. Somehow he had just known this was going to suck and he had been right. He never should have let his partner talk him into going.   
  
"Can't believe him...Can't believe him...." Doc's nostrils flared as he became more and more upset, watching the show. "Who the hell do you think you are Bosco? Cuffing that guy to our bus and then ordering us around like you're King Tut."  
  
"You're gonna start this again?" Bosco asked, shaking his head. "Are you kiddin' me?"   
  
"He's right though, isn't he, Boscorelli?" Fred called out from his table.   
  
"Ya see?" Bosco pointedly ignored Fred and turned toward Sasha. "Ya see why its not a good idea for us to all get together? Half the people here are a bunch of asses."   
  
"You're one to talk," Doc said.  
  
Bosco stood up, totally aggravated now. "You want to take this outside, Parker?"  
  
"Oh yeah, I'll wipe the sidewalk with you, you little twerp," Doc said.   
  
"No one is taking this outside!" Sully shouted. "What is with you two? Let's just watch the rest of this damn thing and then we can all leave, alright?"  
  
Bosco noticed Faith staring at him from her table and sat back down again. "Yeah fine."   
  
Sully breathed a sigh of relief and looked over at Doc who finally sat down as well. Crap, this night just kept getting better and better.   
  
******  
  
"Oh, spare me." Faith shook her head disgustedly as Cruz thanked Davis for putting up the police tape.   
  
"You got a problem with me?" Cruz asked, challenging Faith with her eyes.   
  
"What's with the fake niceness all of a sudden? You thinking of running for mayor or something?"  
  
"I don't think it was fake, Faith," Ty said. "Maybe she's really trying to change. You think so, Sul, don't you?"  
  
Sully looked back at his partner skeptically. "Don't drag me into this."  
  
"You may be able to snow some people, but not everyone," Faith said, narrowing her eyes in Cruz's direction. "I know what you are."  
  
"Yeah, well that goes both ways. Other people might buy into your pure as the driven snow act, but not me," Cruz retorted.   
  
"Leave her alone," Bosco said.  
  
Cruz rolled her eyes. "Oh why am I not surprised? You going to her rescue once again."  
  
"I don't need anyone to rescue me," Faith said.  
  
"Can't we all just get along?" Ty asked, sensing the situation was getting out of control.   
  
"I thought we had problems," Carlos observed. "But you guys are much worse. Ty, I think Sully's right. You need to hit those law books a little bit harder. You don't need this."   
  
"I don't want to talk about law books, okay?" Ty snapped, glaring at his roommate.   
  
"EVERYBODY SHUT UP!" Sasha screamed as she got to her feet. "What is wrong with you people? This is supposed to be a nice evening to celebrate something good and you're turning it into World War three."   
  
"Fine," Faith said.  
  
"Whatever," Bosco said.  
  
"Crap," Sully muttered.  
  
The rest of the cast members either stared down at their plates of cold food or over at the television set, each praying the evening would end soon.  
  
******  
  
"Oh that is so disgusting!" Emily covered her eyes as the bloody body toppled out of the shed and Charlie laughed. "How can you even want to be a cop?" Emily asked her mother.  
  
"I ask that question every day," Fred muttered.  
  
"Don't start." Faith glared at her husband.   
  
"You know...maybe you two really shouldn't go out in public if you're going to act like this," Emily stated, "It's embarrassing."   
  
"Don't take that tone with us, young lady," Fred admonished as Emily rolled her eyes.  
  
"Kids," Sully observed. "Makes me glad I never had any. Still think this is fun, Davis?"  
  
Ty gave his partner an annoyed look but didn't answer his question  
  
"Don't you be calling me a head case," Doc bellowed turning his attention away from the set and towards Bosco.   
  
"What the hell happened to you, man?" Bosco asked. "You used to be a nice guy."   
  
"People like -you- are what happened to me," Doc snapped. "Ordering us around, treating us like dirt. I don't have to take that."  
  
"Doc..." Kim placed her hand on his arm.  
  
"What? It's true. You know it's true."   
  
"You're certifiable, you know that?" Bosco said. "He really is crazy."   
  
Jimmy got to his feet. He had had enough of this. This whole night was a fiasco. "Kim. Joey. Let's get out of here."   
  
"Yay!" Joey grinned as he stood up and went over to his father and Kim stood up as well.   
  
"You guys are going to leave?" Carlos asked, giving them a pleading look. "Come on, stay. It's almost over."   
  
Kim shook her head. "Sorry, Carlos. We've had enough. I'll see you at work tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah see ya," Carlos said. Great, now it was just he and Crazy Doc versus the cops.   
  
******  
  
"A commendation?" Fred asked. "Why the hell should they get a commendation for that? Any idiot could see that kid was guilty."   
  
"Well you'd know about being an idiot, wouldn't you," Bosco retorted.   
  
"Hey, Doc," Fred called over to the paramedic. "Why don't you and I go outside with Bosco and kick his ass."  
  
Doc sneered over at Fred. "I can kick his ass on my own. I don't need your help."   
  
"Oh yeah? Well I could definitely kick your ass."   
  
"Emily, Charlie. We're leaving," Faith stated as she slowly got to her feet.   
  
"Thank God," Emily said. She was never going out in public with her parents again.   
  
"Hey, what about me?" Fred asked.  
  
"What about you?" Faith asked. "I thought you wanted to stay here and kick people's asses." She gazed at Bosco for a long moment and then slowly began to walk from the room, with Fred and the kids trailing behind her.   
  
******  
  
Finally, thankfully, the show came to its conclusion.   
  
"Nice work, Bosco," Sully said as got to his feet and glanced at Ty. "You want to go get something to eat?"   
  
Ty considered that for a moment and then nodded. He hadn't really eaten anyhow. Sully had been right. The food here was crappy. "Yeah sure, what the hell. You want to come, Bosco?"  
  
Bosco shook his head. "No thanks."   
  
"Carlos?"  
  
Carlos shook his head. "No, I'll see you at home, Ty."   
  
"Sasha?"  
  
She shook her head. "No thanks, I've really got to be getting home."   
  
"What about me?" Doc shouted at Sully and Ty's backs as they made their way out of the room. "Aren't you going to ask good ole Doc if he wants to go with you? I was sure good enough to call when you wanted help up at the cabin, wasn't I Davis? You don't remember that, do you?"  
  
"Doc, let's just go," Carlos said.   
  
"Yeah fine. What do you say, Bosco? Why don't we go outside and see who's the boss?"  
  
"I'm outta here." Bosco stood up and glared back at Doc. "If you know what's good for you, you'll stay the hell away from me."  
  
"You afraid of me, Bosco? You afraid of me?" Doc began to dance around like a boxer, jabbing the air with his fists.   
  
"Oh yeah, I'm shakin." Bosco gave Doc a pitying look then walked out of the room.   
  
"Don't be looking at me like that, you little punk!"   
  
"I suggest you go home, Doc," Cruz said as she got to her feet. God, what an amazingly tedious night...She wished she had just stayed home and soaked in the tub.  
  
"Or what?"   
  
"Or I'm going to lock you up. Just go home."   
  
Doc stared back at her for a long moment, but finally backed down. "Fine."   
  
"Good. I'll see you guys around."   
  
"See ya," Carlos said. He looked around at the empty room with most of the plates still full of uneaten food. Some celebration this had been. He turned towards Doc who was once again jabbing his fists at some imaginary opponent and shook his head sadly. Doc was definitely going off the deep end. "Come on, Doc. I'll drive you home." 


End file.
